CHAPTER 27
THERE’S A LESSON IN THIS STORY, which is: you never know where a great science project is going to come from. You start off with the tummy sliding habits of penguins. Then you’re discovering the wonders inside the cable box. And you wind up observing and recording the reproductive cycle of the apartment-dwelling iguana in modern day Manhattan.
My science project turned out great. Thank goodness my disposable camera still had 27 shots left from our trip to Niagara Falls. I got some really good pictures of those eensy teensy iguanas eating their way out of their eggs.
I would’ve gotten an A on it. I was so close I could taste it. But Ms. Adolf took points off because of my concluding sentence. It said: “I think baby iguanas are the most lovable creatures in the world.” Ms. Adolf didn’t think that was scientific enough.
I got a B, though, which is great for me. I don’t get a lot of Bs. The really important thing is I got an A in friendship. Frankie and I are back to being best friends-better than ever.
Hey, you. Baby Iguana Head! What do you think you’re doing?
Listen, I’ve got to go. One of the twenty-two baby iguanas has gotten in my drawer. I think it’s Max. Or it could be Sneezy. Or maybe it’s Charlotte. It’s so hard to tell the difference.
Oh no you don’t, whoever you are! You poop on my Mets sweatshirt and I’m telling your mom!
Hey, I’ve got to take care of this. I’ll see you all later.
About the Authors
HENRY WINKLER is an actor, producer, and director, and he speaks publicly all over the world. In addition, he has a star on Hollywood Boulevard, was knighted by the government of France, and the jacket he wore as the Fonz hangs in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. But if you ask him what he is proudest of, he would say, “Writing the Hank Zipzer books with my partner, Lin Oliver.”
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Stacey. They have three children named Jed, Zoe, and Max, and two dogs named Monty and Charlotte. Charlotte catches a ball so well that she could definitely play outfield for the New York Mets.
LIN OLIVER is a writer and producer of movies, books, and television series for children and families. She has written over one hundred episodes of television and produced four movies, many of which are based on children’s books. She is cofounder and executive director of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, an international organization of twenty thousand authors and illustrators of children’s books.
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alan. They have three sons named Theo, Ollie, and Cole. She loves tuna melts, curious kids, any sport that involves a racket, and children’s book writers everywhere.
The Day of the Iguana Page 9
